1. Field of the Invention
Some embodiments according to the present invention relate to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a record medium using ink, and particularly relate to a method for controlling a restoration mechanism at power shutdown of an image recording apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
An inkjet technique is one of the recording forms of image recording apparatuses, such as printers, copy machines and FAX machines. Image recording apparatuses using an inkjet technique record an image by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles provided at recording heads to a record medium, such as paper or film.
For such an image recording apparatus using an inkjet technique, when image recording is not being performed, it is necessary to cap the nozzle surface of a recording head in order to prevent paper dust and dirt from adhering to the nozzle and the nozzle surface from becoming dried out. In addition, when image recording is not being performed, it is also necessary to move an ink receiving member to a position at which it faces the nozzle in order to prevent the transportation path from becoming stained due to dripping of ink from the nozzle. Therefore, these processes are performed by image recording apparatuses using an inkjet technique when they are in a power shutdown state or in a power-saving mode under which image recording is stopped.
Meanwhile, an image recording apparatus repeatedly feeds, transports, and discharges recording media. When these operations are performed, a so-called jam may occur in which a record medium is stuck in the transportation path. When a jam occurs, the user needs to remove the record medium causing the jam and restart the image recording; however, sometimes, the apparatus switches over to a power-saving mode or shuts down the power while in a jam state.
As an example, in regard to a technology for performing an initializing process for a printer caught in a paper jam at the turning on of the main power supply, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-141814 (hereinafter referred to as “patent document 1” and incorporated herein by reference) discloses an initializing method of a printer.
The printer in patent document 1 performs a paper ejection process before the initializing process, using information from a paper sensor for sensing paper on the paper path and a home sensor for sensing whether the carriage is at the home position or not. In this way, when an initializing process is performed while paper is jammed on the paper path, a carriage error which would occur via the jammed paper touching the carriage is prevented from occurring.